Flywheel dynamo-electric machine for internal-combustion engines



R. L. ASPDEN FLYWHEEL DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES Filed Dec. 19 1923 3 WWW &Z7@ S Patented Oct. 14, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLYWHEEL DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed December 19, 1923. Serial No. 681,649.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I. RALPH LEONARD AsPnEN, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland. and residing at i Southport Road, Chorley, in thecounty of Lancaster. England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in and Relating to Flywheel Dynamo-Electric Machines forInternal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

Theinvention relates to fly-wheel dynamoelectric machines for use asstarters and particularly to those of the kind invented by the presentapplicant and described in the specifications of British Patents Nos.153,721 and 187,665.

The primary object of the present invention is to simplify mechanisms ofthe kind indicated and render them more compact.

With such an object The invention consists in a fly-wheeldynamo-electric machine of the kind indicated having an engine shaft,transmission shaft and rotary member of a dynamoelectric machine mountedas independently rotatable parts and a member of a threepiece clutch inrigid relation to one of said parts and adapted to be forced intooperative enga ement. with a second of said parts by the t ird part,operation of said third part acting both to clutch and declutch thethree parts simultaneously.

The invention also consists in a device of the kind indicated in whichthe fly-wheel comprises two coaxial clutch-carrying parts, one of whichis attached to the engine shaft and the other to a rotary member of thedynamo-electric machine, the latt r part being capable of axialmovement.

he invention also consists in a device of the kind indicated in whichthe independentl rotatable engine shaft. transmission sha t and rotarymember of the dynamoelectric machine, by axial movement of such rotarymember, can be simultaneously clutched together the clutching operationbeing effected by a single instrumentality, such as a pedal.

The invention further consists in a device as indicatedin which a part,preferably acting as a fiy-wheel and secured to the essentialrotaryfijelement of the dynamo-electric machine, acts as a presser forthe clutch operation referred to in the preceding paragraph.

The invention still further consists in a device of the kind indicatedin which one element of a three-piece clutch attached to thetransmission shaft is interposed between co-acting clutch membersmounted respec tively on the engine shaft and on a part connected to therotary element of the dynamoelectric machine.

The invention finally consists'in the improved fiy-wheel dynamo-electricmachines hereinafter described.

The accompanying drawing shows as regards its upper half sectionalelevation and as regards its lower half an outside elevation of one formof the invention, by way of example.

According to this form of the invention, applied as a starter for aninternal combustion motor driving, for example, a road vehicle, a disc,a, with a substantial rim, 6, acting as a fly-wheel, is mounted on theengine shaft, 0, one side, 03, of this rim being faced up to act as aclutch surface. In juxtaposition to the clutch surface, d, in question aplate, 6, is arranged which is mounted on the transmission shaft, 7, i.e., the shaft leading to the gear-box; while one operative face, It, ofthe plate member, e. is in juxtaposition to the clutch face, (1, on therim as above described, the'other 0perative face, 2', of the platemember is in similar juxtaposition with a face, is, formed on part of asleeve member, m, acting as a fly-wheel, m, and secured to the armature,a, of the dynamo-electric machine, the field magnets, 0, being securedto any suitable stationary part, such as the casing The armature n, isfree to rotate on the sleeve, 8, by virtue of the ball bearings, 2,,butis prevented from moving axially in relation to the sleeve, 8, by thecollar, to. The armature. a, and fly-wheel, m, as a whole are carried onthe transmission shaft, 7, on which they can slide bodily in an axialdirection. It will thus be seen that the engine shaft, transmissionshaft and armature are rotatable independently in relation to oneanother. A helical spring, 4), surrounding the transmission shaft actsnormally by way of the Z-ring, w, ball thrust bearings,-w, and flange,n, to press the armature, n, and connected fly-wheel against the late,6, attached to the transmission sha t, 7", but by means of a flangedsleeve, 2, slidable on the latter and operated from a singleinstrumentality such as the usual clutch pedal, 2, by Way of a lever orfork, 3, and pin, a, the armature may be moved longitudinally a shortdistance against the action of the spring to free the clutch surfaces,the thrust in this case being taken by the ball bearings, 5.

Th action of the device described is as follows Assuming the clutchpedal, 2, operated to move the armature. 11, against the action of thespring, a, it is then free to rotate and on switching in the batteryquickly achieves a high rate of revolution, thereby storing considerableenergy in the fiy-wheel attachment, m. Upon releasing the pedal, thehelical spring acts to force the armature and flywheel to the left asseen in the drawing, thereby gripping the plate, 6, attached to thetransmission shaft between the clutch the fly-wheel, m, attached to thearmature andthe fly-wheel rim, 0?, attached to theengine shaft. I

this operation it will be seen that the engine is simultaneouslyclutched both to the transmission shaft and to the dynamo. 'lhechange-speed gear being in the neutral position. the parts indicatedrotate as one and the motor is thus started.

In a similar manner the motor is simultaneously declutched from thedynamo and the transmission shaft.

In some cases, if desired, the rotary part of; the armature may beconstituted by the field magnets, the armature being stationary.

Although the preferred form of the pres ent invention has been describedabove in which a single plate clutch. is used, nevertheless in somecases a multiple plate clutch or any other form of clutch suitable forthe purposes in question may be used, the scope of the invention beingwide enough to inelude other alterations in the form and generalarrangement of the parts so long as no departure is made from theprinciples of operation set forth in an earlier part of thisspecification.

Having now described my invention, What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Lette'rs Patent is l. A device of the kind indicated having anengine shaft and a co-axial transmission shaft and rotary member of adynamo-elecping said force-transmitting means mounted on saidtransmission shaft between said force-transmitting means mounted on saidengine shaft and rotary member, as set forth.

, 3. A device of the kind indicated having an engine shaft, transmissionshaft and r0- tary member of a dynamo-electric machine mounted asindependently rotatable parts, said engine shaft and rotary member eachhaving a clutch face and said transmission shaft having a, pair ofclutch faces to coact respectively with said other clutch faces,together with means for axially movin said rotary member to clutch anddeclutc said three rotatable parts simultaneously, as set forth. I

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said rotary member is freelyrotatable on and movable axially in relation to said transmission shaft,as set forth.

A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said transmission shaft carriesa disc on which is mounted the force-transmitting means proper, as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have signed name to this specification.

iR-ALPH LEONARD ASPDEN.

